The Realities of Horse Travel

Recently I was insulted on Facebook
with a comment calling me a “lard ass” and telling me to ride a bike
instead.Although this language was
uncalled for and slightly shocking, that is not the point of this post.I would like instead to address the
misunderstandings of horse travel and of horseback riding in general that I
think are behind the comment.

False: The horse does all the work

True: Horseback riding, and
especially horse travel, is a physical activity.My days begin with shoeing, saddling, and
packing Apollo.By the end of this hour
long process, I am ready for a nap and my back hurts.Then, I walk with him for several hours a
day, and often the whole day long.That
is usually 10 to 15 miles.Five days a
week.If that’s not a lot of work, I
don’t know what is.Then, when I am
ready to drop, I have to take care of all his needs for the night – unpacking,
unsaddling, unshoeing, toting feed and water, often walking the fence
line.Then Apollo rests while I take
care of Hermes.And then set up my tent
and make dinner.Maybe then I can sit
down. But not before checking on Apollo again.Sometimes I wish I had a bicycle!

False: The horse is unhappy with
working, especially with horse travel

True: Horses like to have a
job.They don’t all like the same jobs,
but when the right horse is picked for the right job, they enjoy the work.Apollo is a good long ride horse.He usually waits by the gate to be caught,
walks happily along with me, and especially is thrilled when some passing
stranger stops to pet him.He enjoys
looking at the scenery as much as I do (although he does not understand my need
to stop and take photos).Having spent
so much time with him, I do know when he is unhappy! And it’s not when he is
working a normal day.Often on his days
off, he continues to take himself on walks around the pasture – not from
stress, but because he likes his job!

False: The rider is lazy and just
sits there

If you ride horses and think this, you
are doing it wrong.A good rider moves
with the horse’s movements.They are
limber, flexible, athletic, and have good core body strength.A good rider on a horse is called “active
weight” or “live weight” which is exponentially easier on the horse than a
rider that sits like a lump and is just “dead weight.”(Dead weight also refers to anything attached
to the horse – saddle, packs, etc).Riding
for long stretches is tiring, in a full body sort of way.If the roads are good and Apollo is not
tired, I may ride a six mile stretch, at the end of which I am certainly ready
to walk again!

False: The rider is fat and out of
shape (presumably because of just sitting there)

There are obese riders, for
sure.But there are no overweight long
riders.There is just too much exercise
every day! Most long riders have reported losing weight during their rides, and
those that didn’t were those that had no extra weight to begin with.

In summary, if I was truly lazy and
bent on taking the easy way to travel to 48 states, I would probably buy a
bicycle.At least then I could coast
downhill!Or more likely, I would drive,
preferably in a luxury RV.But instead,
I choose to grind my feet down almost every day, sleep poorly from the full
body pain or deeply from exhaustion (but never normally), see the world slowly,
and in the company of my horse friend Apollo.

You are the least lazy person ever! I am in awe of how much you put into your ride every day and can't even imagine how much work it was. If someone thinks that a person on a horse "just sits there" they must have never even been on a horse!!! Congratulations on your amazing achievement and I am so happy we were able to be a tiny part of your journey!

You are invited to join the conversation!Please keep the following in mind when posting your comments:- You do not need to register to comment- You may comment anonymously- You may post questions, and I will do my best to respond in a timely fashion. - You may disagree. But please do so respectfully.- I reserve the right to delete inappropriate or rude comments.- You are the sole owner of your comments. - You grant me license to publish your comments in another venue, royalty free and without limitations, including in a blog, book, video, or presentation.